The bestElizabeth Banksmovies and TV shows include a variety of comedies and a few horror and action movies that show her range as a comedy star. Banks got her start in high school when she tried out for a school play and found her calling. After college, she moved on to study theater at the American Conservatory Theater and then turned down her first offered role (the soap opera Santa Barbara). Instead, she got her start in indie films and then worked steadily in smaller movies for a few years.
In 2005, she finallyfound her breakout role in the comedy movieThe 40-Year-Old Virgin. That led to mostly supporting roles over the years before she finally decided to move into directing her own movies. In 2013, she directed the critical failureMovie 43before she found more success bydirecting the sequel toPitch Perfectafter appearing as an actor in the first movie. Through that time, Banks also saw her acting roles start to improve, and she has developed a nice list of movies to date for her career.
Power Rangers
Cast
Power Rangers (2017) follows five teenagers who are chosen to become the Power Rangers, tasked with protecting their town of Angel Grove and the world from an impending alien threat. As they grapple with personal challenges, they must unite to harness their newfound abilities to avert imminent destruction.
In 2017, Saban broughtPower Rangersback with a new big screen movie. Bryan Cranston took on the voice of Zordon, and he was joined by a young cast of talented actors in the film’s very diverse cast. However, one of thebest additions to the cast was Elizabeth Banks, who played the evil Rita Repulsa. She was a former Green Ranger when Zordon was a Red Ranger but betrayed her entire team.
Banks was not what anyone expected from Rita Repulsa, but she delivered a great performance as the villain, and went way over the top with her performance.
The movie received mixed reviews, with a barely even 51% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It also fell short of expectations in terms of how it fared at the box office. Banks was not what anyone expected from Rita Repulsa, but she delivered a great performance as the villain, and went way over the top with her performance, a highlight in an underrated movie that is better than some people might remember.
Cocaine Bear
Based loosely on the true story, Cocaine Bear follows an oddball group of cops, criminals, tourists, and teens converging in a Georgia forest where a massive black bear stumbles upon and ingests a staggering amount of cocaine, setting the 500-pound bear on a coke-fueled rampage for more blow.. and blood.
In 2023, Elizabeth Banks directed the “based on a true story” movieCocaine Bear. The film was based on an old news story about a bear who found cocaine, dropped out of a plane in the Tennessee woods, and died of an overdose after consuming it. However,Banks decided to make this all-out horror comedythat saw the bear who consumed the cocaine go on a murderous rampage while park rangers, criminals, and locals had to fight for survival.
Is Cocaine Bear Based On A True Story?
While ‘Cocaine Bear’ is mostly fictional, it was inspired by a true-life story, and here is what you need to know.
Keri Russell stars as Sari, a mother whose daughter has gone missing in the woods while the killer bear is out there on its rampage. Also starring in the film are Alden Ehrenreich and O’Shea Jackson Jr. as two low-level criminals looking for the drugs, and Ray Liotta as their mob boss. Elizabeth Banks directed the film, but she stayed behind the camera for this movie, which received positive reviews, and a nice box office take.
Skincare
“Skincare” features the renowned aesthetician Hope Goldman and the challenges she faces when her rival, Angel Vergara, opens a competing boutique just across the street. This rivalry sets off a chain of events where Hope, with the support of her friend Jordan, seeks to discover the person behind the sabotage of her business.
Elizabeth Banks surprised many fans who had gotten used to her comedy roleswith her performance in the thriller filmSkincare. Banks has appeared in horror and thriller movies before, but this specific release gave her some awards recognition as the year wore on. InSkincare, Banks stars as Hope Goldman, a famous aesthetician who runs a successful skincare studio in Los Angeles. However, when a rival opens a studio across the street, she believes the woman is stalking and harassing her.
She ends up going to her life coach Jordan (Lewis Pullman) for help and soon someone begins blackmailing her when someone posts personal ads online offering people sex at her salon. The movie is full of twists and turns, and critics were happy, specifically praising Banks’ performance as a woman losing control of her composure as her life continues to fall apart until she finally crosses the line of no return.
Zack and Miri Make a Porno
Zack and Miri Make a Porno is a 2008 comedy directed by Kevin Smith, starring Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks. The film revolves around two longtime friends, Zack and Miri, who decide to make an adult film to solve their financial problems. As they recruit friends and acquaintances to help with the project, they navigate the complexities of their relationship and the unexpected consequences of their decision.
Elizabeth Banks and Seth Rogen reunited a few years after teaming up inThe 40-Year-Old Virginfor the Kevin Smith sex comedyZack and Miri Make a Porno.The film has Rogen and Banks star as Zack and Miri, two close friends and roommateswho decide they can make money to help pay the bills by making and selling a porno moviethat they star in. However, when the two get deeper into making the film, they realize that the buildup to the sex scenes is destroying their friendship.
With critics praising the film’s ability to mix the raunchy humor with heart, thanks mostly to the performances by Rogen and Banks.
Smith brought in a great cast, with real-life adult stars Katie Morgan and Traci Lords appearing alongside Kevin Smith regulars Jeff Anderson and Jason Mewes joining as well. The film received average reviews with a 65% fresh Rotten Tomatoes score with critics praising the film’s ability to mix the raunchy humor with heart, thanks mostly to the performances by Rogen and Banks.
Definitely, Maybe
Definitely, Maybe is a romantic comedy film that follows the story of Will Hayes, a father who tells his 10-year-old daughter the story of how he met her mother, recounting his relationships with three different women.
Ryan Reynolds stars in the 2008 romantic comedyDefinitely, Maybeas Will Hayes, a father who is in the middle of a divorce from his wife Sarah. His daughter, Maya (Abigail Breslin) asks her dad to tell her the story of how he met her mother. He finally agrees but wants to make a game of it. He tells her three stories, where he changes the names, and it is Maya’s job to figure out which of the stories is about Sarah.
The film is charming and showsReynolds falling in and out of love with April (Isla Fisher), Sarah (Elizabeth Banks), and Natasha (Rachel Weisz). Each story shows how the relationships were promising but failed, often to no fault of anyone involved.Reynolds is as charming as ever, and his relationship with each of the three women is at times sweet and sad. Critics praised the clever script and the cast, showing it as an underrated fresh romantic comedy.
The 40 Year Old Virgin
Steve Carell takes on the titular 40-Year Old Virgin role in this romantic comedy from Judd Apatow. Andy, an electronics store employee, reveals to his co-workers that he’s still a virgin despite recently hitting forty years of age, setting them on a quest to help him adjust his ways to find him a date and end his virginity. With or without the help of his friends, a series of awkward and comedic dates may lead him to more than a one-night-stand, but instead, the future love of his life
Judd Apatow directed what might be his masterpiece movie withThe 40-Year-Old Virginin 2005, a film that also made Steve Carell a star. In the film, Carell plays the 40-year-old man from the title who is still a virgin and who is more interested in his geek love of action figures than he is in actually getting with a woman. However, when his friends learn he is still a virgin, they take it upon themselves to help him finally lose his virginity.
Andy has plenty of options, from his boss who really wants to take his virginity (Jane Lynch) to the woman who he ends up falling in love with (Catherine Keener). However,Elizabeth Banks is also one of these women, Beth, who he attempts to hook up with, a “sexually uninhibited” bookstore clerk who becomes intrigued with Andy. The movie received positive reviews, was a box office success, and won awards for Carell and Keener.
The Lego Movie
The first film in the Lego movie franchise, 2014’s The Lego Movie tells the story of Emmett Brickowski (Chris Pratt), an average construction worker from the Lego city of Bricksburg. After finding the fabled “Piece of Resistance”, Emmett finds himself opposing the plans of the villainous Lord Business (Will Ferrell) with the help of both original characters and licensed ones such as Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman.
Elizabeth Banks joined the animatedThe LEGO Moviein 2014 in one of the film’s most important roles. Directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller,The LEGO Moviefeatured Chris Pratt voicing a generic LEGO named Emmet Brickowski and follows him as he becomes the Chosen One set to save Bricksburg from an evil dictator named Lord Business, who wants to use a superweapon called Kragle to freeze all the people living there in one place.
Elizabeth Banks voices the character Wyldestyle, the female leadwho teams with Emmet and helps him save the city and eventually falls in love with the generic hero at the end. In what could have been a cash grab,The LEGO Moviewent on to receive an Oscar nomination while winning the BAFTA for Best Animated Film. It also spawned a sequel (which Banks returned for), video games,and even aLEGO Batmanspinoff film.
Wet Hot American Summer
Wet Hot American Summer is a comedy set on the last day of summer camp in 1981 at Camp Firewood. The film follows the camp director Beth, who navigates her feelings for a local astrophysics professor while dealing with impending disasters, love triangles, and other camp hijinks.
The first movie thatElizabeth Banks had a major role in was the 2001 comedyWet Hot American Summer. Created by the team behindThe State,Wet Hot American Summerfollowed employees at a summer camp and their relationships with each other while often neglecting their duties of watching over the kids. The cast was full of big names, including Janeane Garofalo, David Hyde Pierce, Molly Shannon, Paul Rudd, Christopher Meloni, Michael Showalter, Michael Ian Black, and Amy Poehler.
Bradley Cooper & 9 Other Actors You Forgot Were In Wet Hot American Summer
Fans of Wet Hot American Summer may forget that this is the film that gave many huge stars their first big break, including Bradley Cooper, and more.
The film was also a launching point for other actors, including Bradley Cooper and Elizabeth Banks. The latter stars as Lindsay, one of the counselors who Andy (Paul Rudd) cheats on his girlfriend Katie (Marguerite Moreau). However, in reality, she is older than everyone else, a reporter who has gone undercover as a counselor to write a story about what really happens at summer camps.
The Hunger Games
The Hunger Games is a dystopian thriller set in Panem, where annually selected tributes from twelve districts compete in a televised battle to the death. The story follows Katniss Everdeen, who must navigate the brutal competition and rely on her instincts and mentor’s guidance to survive and possibly return home.
The biggest movies that Elizabeth Banks ever appeared in were the four films inThe Hunger Gamesfranchise. She was in all four movies, starring as Effie Trinket. She was born in the Capitol and is assigned to oversee players in the Hunger Games, specifically placed over Katniss and Peeta in both the 74th and 75th running of the games. She always wears expensive, flamboyant outfits and has different colored wigs to match whatever clothes she has decided to wear.
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The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2
Effie has a big role in the films, going from a willing associate of the evil Capitol rulers to someone who is willing to help Katniss with her rebellion and finally bring down President Snow. The film series was a massive success, bringing in $2.976 billion for the four movies in the original franchise. BecauseThe Ballad of Songbirds & Snakesis a prequel, Banks did not return for the latest movie in the franchise. She won the MTV Movie Award for Best On-Screen Transformation.
Pitch Perfect
Pitch Perfect is a musical comedy film directed by Jason Moore, starring Anna Kendrick as Beca, a college freshman who reluctantly joins her school’s all-female a cappella group, the Barden Bellas. The Bellas strive to win the national competition in the male-dominated world of collegiate a cappella by reinventing their dated repertoire with new, dynamic arrangements. The cast also includes Rebel Wilson and Brittany Snow.
The same year that Elizabeth Banks started inThe Hunger Gamesfranchise, she also got her start in a smaller role in thePitch Perfectfranchise. These movies are about a cappella groups competing for massive prizes, with the first installment following newcomer Beca Mitchell (Anna Kendrick) as she struggles to fit in with the already-established Barden Bellas. Banks is one of the announcers for the competitions.
This was a perfect role for Banks, as it almost seemed to allow her to improvise her lines, which was a possibility alongside Fred Willard, one of the main actors appearing in Christopher Guest’s mockumentary films (A Mighty Wind, Best in Show) composed entirely of improv.Elizabeth Banksnot only stole all the scenes she was in as the crass announcer, but she alsoreturned forPitch Perfect 2as the director of the sequel.
